‘The Stratford Upon Avon & Midland Junction Railway’ (or S.M.J.) was a small independent railway company which ran a line across the empty, untouched centre of England. It visited the counties of Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and a little of Buckinghamshire, only existing as the SMJ from 1909 to 1923. In 1923 the S.M.J.became a minor arm of the London Midland and Scottish (L.M.S.), then in 1948 'British Railways'

I have just noticed that Byfield and Blakesly station buildings look identical and also Morton Pinkney looks similar. Was it a standard design? Also can any one tell me where i might be able to find a photo of the non platform side i.e. entrance.…Continue

HiI’ve just purchased the book « Track layout diagrams of the Great Western Railway and B.R. (W.R.) section 29” by R.A.Cooke and notice that on page 29/9 concerning Fenny Compton, he mentions a goods shed at the end of the exchange sidings as…Continue

For those interested in the Train Simulator 2014 side of life... I've begun modelling the SMJ railway in the route creator/editor, using terrain from imported Google Earth and imagery of the line from the SMJ days. As you'd expect, the route is…Continue

I see an advert for Volume 1 of Barry Taylor's SMJ history in RM. Apparently it will cover the E&WJR and N&BJR period pre SMJ and is being published by Black Dwarf mid-August, cost &25 plus p.p.Continue

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It must have been taken pre 1960 south link put in at Stratford. 48204 would have either have been allocated to Toton (18A) or Westhouses (18B) then, looks like the latter as far as I can make out. Either would not have been that usual I would have thought at Binton, looks like iron ore wagons, possibly from the Oxfordshire Iron Ore workings joining the SMJ at Fenny Compton. Also looks as if the crane is either installing or lifting a diesel engine to (or from) the Fowler ploughing engine. The engines belonged to Bomford & Carr who did a lot of dredging with ploughing engines.